


The Human Spirit / Little Creek Fic Exactly 1 Person Asked For

by Claycastles



Category: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, I googled a lot about horses while writing this, I promise, I swear to god he's human, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:53:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claycastles/pseuds/Claycastles
Summary: Little Creek ("Creek") works for the Colonel, who runs a horse race. When his prized race horse, Rain, is injured, the Colonel wants to put her down, but Creek is desperate to save her... and he find an unlikely ally in Spencer "Spirit" Santiago, a vet for Cimarron Stables and Rescue.It started out he was just trying to save Rain's life... but you know how these things go, how could he resist the handsome, bad-boy vet with a soft side?
Relationships: Little Creek/Spirit (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PrincessFish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessFish/gifts).



> Yes, I know this is weird. Shut up. God may judge me, but his sins outnumber my own.

**Chap 1**

Rain was in the lead, ripping past the other horses and riders like she always did, thundering towards the finish line to the chorus of a cheering crowd.

Little Creek wasn’t even surprised anymore, the wall covered in ribbons, trophies, and pictures of Rain posed for victory photos proved her skill… And he supposed it also proved the Colonel’s skill as a rider, but Creek wasn’t cheering for the Colonel. 

He was cheering for the horse  _ he  _ groomed, the horse  _ he  _ trained, the horse  _ he  _ took for daily rides. The Colonel might own Rain, but she was just as much Creek’s horse as his.

Rain zipped around the track again, passing Creek’s spot at the fence, and he whooped at her. “Atta’ girl!” He climbed a rung on the fence to get a better view as she circled the track, beaming with pride.

It was a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. He always felt like that when Rain raced, because she always won. She was damn near undefeated, a champion, and  _ he  _ had trained her.

“Wipe that dumb grin off your face,” Jackson, one of the other grooms grumbled from his spot beside Creek at the fence. “The Colonel always wins, it’s nothing to be excited ‘bout.”

Creek didn’t let that damper his mood. “Maybe not for you.”

Jackson frowned and crossed his arms. “The races have to be scripted. There’s no way the Colonel could win  _ every single _ race otherwise.”

“Scripted?” Creek scoffed, shaking his head. “Jealous Majesty is losing?”

Majesty was the horse Jackson most commonly worked with, and she never won a race against Rain, not once.

“I’m not jealous,” The way Jackson turned away from Creek, scowling, said otherwise. “I’m just saying, there are rumours.”

“Rumours are rumours, Jack.” Creek turned his attention back to the race. “I wouldn’t put much stock into them. Besides, I have faith in Rain’s abilities, she--.”

It was like it happened in slow motion. Rain collided with another horse at full speed, sending them both crashing mercilessly to the dirt in a flail of limps, and screaming riders. A gasp rippled through the crowd, horses cried out and after one horrible moment, everything went still.

Creek’s heart dropped into his boots, and he was swinging himself over the fence before he could stop himself, rushing to  _ his  _ horse, who laid limp on the ground.

The Colonel and the other rider were collecting themselves, getting back to their feet and checking themselves for injuries. 

“Rain!” Creek knelt beside her head, resting one hand on her snout, and getting down to her eye level.

She made a pained noise, and Creek straightened to check her for a wound. When his eyes landed on the mess of her front left leg, his heart lurched. That wasn’t good.

“We need a vet!” Creek shouted to anyone who would listen.

“Are you fucking _ crazy?”  _ Came a harsh voice from behind, and when Creek looked, it was Lily Carter, the other rider in the collison. She was getting in the Colonel’s face. “You could have gotten all of us killed! What the  _ fuck  _ were you thinking?”

The Colonel, not a man to step down from a fight, shouted back, matching her tone. “It’s your own damn fault, Carter! You got in my way!”

“So you ran us over?” Lily shoved him on the chest, looking about ready to deck the Colonel. “If Nova is injured, you’re paying the vet bills, fuckwad!” She gestured to her own horse, a palomino mare, collapsed on the ground beside Rain.

“I’m not paying a damn thing!”

Creek couldn’t take the arguing anymore. “Someone just call the damn vet already!”

Lily, seemingly having more sense than the Colonel, pulled out her phone.

The race was canceled, the crowds dispersed, and before Creek knew it, he was sitting in Rain’s stall, on the ground beside her, waiting for a vet.

Nova and Lily Carter were in the next stall, apparently her own vet had already arrived. Creek could hear the conversation, and he had nothing else to listen to, so he stroked Rain’s flake to sooth her, and let himself eavesdrop.

“Alright let me get a look at her.” The vet’s voice was... familiar, but Creek couldn’t place it.

“She took quite the fall, completely wiped out.”

“Yeah, I heard. Poor thing.” Silence fell for a few minutes, then the vet spoke again. “She didn’t break anything, thank god. She’s just a bit bruised. She might be sore for a few days, but she’ll be alright. You were insanely lucky.”

Lily sighed in relief. “Fucking hell… This is it. I’m done. I quit. I’m not racing for that asshole anymore. I’ll take Nova somewhere else.”

“Not a bad idea. This isn’t the first horse I’ve seen get scuffed up in one of his races. You said another horse got hurt?”

“Yeah, Rain, the Colonel’s horse.”

“Has his vet gotten here yet?”

Lily, voice full of disdain, seethed, “No. Why would he? He doesn’t give a crap about that horse’s life. I doubt he’ll call a vet at all.”

Creek frowned. That couldn’t be right. Rain was his champion, of  _ course  _ the Colonel would call the vet.

“Well, that’s shit,” the vet huffed. “Where is she? I’ll take a look, pro bono.”

“That’s nice of you.”

“Well, I can’t prescribe anything without payment, but I can at least figure out how bad she got and give an estimate on recovery time.”

“Rain’s stall is the next one over, to the right. Her name’s on the door.”

“Thanks Lily. I’ll send you the bill for Nova later tonight.”

“Thanks Spencer.”

Creek straightened, craning his neck to see as someone stepped into the stall door… and low and behold, there’s Spencer “Spirit” Santiago.

He looked different than he did in high school, but not different enough to be unrecognizable. His blonde hair was cut into bangs, framing his face, and he had grown some. Spirit was already a tough looking kid, but now he had the height and muscular figure to go with it.

He was holding a bag of what Creek assumed was medical supplies. “Hey, are you Rain’s groom?”

Creek narrowed his eyes at Spirit. If his memory served him, Spirit wasn’t exactly a model student in high school. He got into fights at least once a week, and was always walking around with a black eye, or bruised knuckles. 

Creek wasn’t sure how much he trusted Spirit, and he had half a mind to tell him to fuck off, and wait for the Colonel’s vet! … but Lily’s words worried him, so he just nodded instead. “I am.”

“Can I take a look at her leg?” Spirit nodded at the horse, one eyebrow quirked.

“Sure, but I’m staying right here.”

Spirit gave a little laugh, and set his bag down beside Rain, settling down to work on her leg. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave. Horses tend to be calmer with someone they trust around. It’s safer for everyone if you stay.” Spirit’s hands were moving, diligently working on the wound, but Creek refused to look.

Creek wasn’t fond of the sight of blood, so he kept his gaze firmly latched to Spirit’s face, instead of following his hands to the wound. He was worried he might vomit, depending on how bad it was, and he didn’t think throwing up on a bloody wound would be helpful.

“I’m gonna disinfect and wrap it, but there’s not a whole lot I can do without the Colonel’s go ahead, so you definitely still need to call your vet after I’m done.” Spirit glanced up from his task, catching Creek’s gaze, and holding it for a few seconds too long.

Were they sitting close? When did that happen? Why were Spirit’s eyes so pretty?

After a beat longer, Spirit cleared his throat and looked away. “Good news; She’ll live. I’d say give her six to eight weeks of rest, and keep a close eye on her. Keep the wound clean and with fresh bandages. I’d get her some painkillers from your vet.”

Relief flooded Creek. She was going to be  _ okay _ .

_ Thank god. _

“And when she recovers?” Cut the Colonel’s voice through that relief. He was standing just outside the stall, grimacing. 

“Uh,” Spirit hesitated a second before answering, a tight frown on his face. “She’ll still be ridable, but definitely not as fast as she was before her injury. Not a race horse anymore, that’s for certain.”

The Colonel’s face twisted in displeasure. “If she can’t race anymore she’s worthless to me.”

“You’ll sell her?” Creek’s insides felt knotted up at the idea. If Rain was sold… he’d likely never see her again.

“Who would buy a crippled horse? She can’t race, and she’ll need time to recover, which will cost more money than she’ll be worth after when recovered. No idiot would buy her.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Better to just take her out back and shoot her, put her out of her misery, be done with it.”

“No!” Creek hurried to his feet, placing himself between the Colonel and Rain. “She has a chance to recover!”

“I’ve made up my mind, Mr. Sona, and shouting at me isn’t going to change it.” The Colonel adjusted his hat, and started walking away, shouting over his shoulder, “You don’t have to be the one to do it if you don’t have the stomach for it!”

Creek wanted to run after him, but then he caught sight of Spirit again.

The man was playing with his phone, as if the Colonel hadn’t just given Rain a death sentence. Fury boiled in Creek’s veins. He couldn’t take it out on his boss… but he could on this asshole vet.

“Are you not angry?” Creek hissed, glaring. 

Spirit glanced up from his phone, eyebrows furrowed. “Huh?”

“Some vet you are, you’re not even paying attention!”

“I’m texting my boss.” Spirit gestured to his phone, like it was obvious. “I work at Cimarron Stables and Rescue, I’m their vet.”

“Stables and… rescue?”

“We buy at risk horses, train them, rehabilitate them, and find good homes for them once they’re ready.” Spirit nodded towards Rain. “I’m trying to find out if we can fit her in the budget, if we have space for her.”

Creek openly stared as Spirit turned back to his phone.

Every inch of him wanted to doubt Spirit’s intentions. This was the guy who fought so much in high school he barely left detention… and now he was what? A vet? Saving at risk horses out of the kindness of his heart?

But the alternative to trusting Spirit was Rain’s death.. So he supposed Spirit would have to do.

Spirit frowned at his phone, heading out of the stables without another word.

Creek hurried after him. “Wait, so are you taking her?”

“I don’t know.” Spirit stopped walking just long enough to say, “I’ll figure it out. Stick with her, she needs your company.” And then he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chap 2**

Lilly pointed Spirit to the next stall over, but when he stood in the doorway, he was faced with someone… familiar.

A man, with brown skin, and soft eyes, and two long black braids over his shoulders… It was the braids that brought the name back.

Little Creek Sona.  _ Creek _ , for short. They went to high school together. He was always getting picked on for his braids. Kids called him slurs, pulled on his hair… 

There was a kid named Eric who went after Creek a lot in their Freshmen year. One time he followed Creek down the hall during the passing period, took out some scissors, and cut his braids off, like some first grade bullshit.

He said it was because boys with long hair were gay.

Spirit rubbed his knuckles, recalling how much it hurt his fist when he broke Eric’s nose. He had a lot of anger issues in high schools, and beating up assholes wasn’t the  _ healthiest  _ coping mechanism, but at least it was productive.

“Hey, are you Rain’s groom?”

Creek’s eye’s narrowed, like he didn’t trust Spirit… which was far. It wasn’t like they actually spoke to each other in high school, it was more like they were  _ aware  _ of each other, and Spirit didn’t exactly  _ tell him _ he beat up Eric  _ because  _ of the braid thing.

Likely, all Creek knew was the reputation it had earned him.

After a long moment, Creek seemed to decide to trust him, nodding. “I am.”

“Can I take a look at her leg?” Spirit nodded at the horse, quirking one eyebrow.

“Sure, but I’m staying right here.” There was a fire in Creek’s eyes when he said it, tone dripping with determination. He’s grown up since Spirit had last seen him… he was less timid, more sure of himself.

Spirit gave a little laugh, and set his bag down beside Rain, settling down to work on her leg. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave. Horses tend to be calmer with someone they trust around. It’s safer for everyone if you stay.” 

Spirit tried to ignore Creek’s unwavering gaze on him as he worked. He felt a bit put under the microscope, but he wasn’t going to let that distract him from his work. Spirit disinfected the wound, then wrapped it.

“I’m gonna disinfect and wrap it, but there’s not a whole lot I can do without the Colonel’s go ahead, so you definitely still need to call your vet after I’m done.” Spirit glanced up from his task, catching Creek’s gaze, they were sitting awfully close...

Creek’s cheek darkened and… oh shit. He wasn’t just cute, he was  _ hot.  _ His jawline had sharpened, he’d grown his hair out again, and he had a deepness in his eyes that drew Spirit in.

But he shouldn’t be thinking like that. He had work to do.

Spirit cleared his throat and looked away. “Good news; She’ll live. I’d say give her six to eight weeks of rest, and keep a close eye on her. Keep the wound clean and with fresh bandages. I’d get her some painkillers from your vet.”

Creek’s shoulders relaxed, relief coming off him in waves.

“And when she recovers?” Cut the Colonel’s voice through that relief. He was standing just outside the stall, grimacing. 

_ Shit. _ Spirit knew he’d get in trouble for this. Tending to someone else’s animal without permission wasn’t strictly legal, but hey, he’d never gotten any complaints before! The Colonel was a different type of man though, some retired army guy still pretending he was a soldier.

“Uh,” Spirit hesitated a second before answering. “She’ll still be ridable, but definitely not as fast as she was before her injury. Not a race horse anymore, that’s for certain.”

The Colonel’s face twisted in displeasure. “If she can’t race anymore she’s worthless to me.”

“You’ll sell her?” Creek sounded  _ devastated  _ at the idea, and it tugged Spirit’s heartstrings without his consent. 

“Who would buy a crippled horse? She can’t race, and she’ll need time to recover, which will cost more money than she’ll be worth after when recovered. No idiot would buy her.” He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “Better to just take her out back and shoot her, put her out of her misery, be done with it.”

“No!” Creek hurried to his feet, placing himself between the Colonel and Rain… and it seemed he picked up some bravery in the past couple years too. Good for him. “She has a chance to recover!”

Spirit sighed to himself and pulled out his phone, knowing the answer would likely be no, but knowing he had to ask anyway. He was Rain’s last shot, he’d bet. 

He texted his boss.  _ ‘Injured race horse. Female. Owner doesn’t want her anymore.’ _

He got a response almost instantly.  _ ‘I can find the space, but money’s tight.’ _

“I’ve made up my mind, Mr. Sona, and shouting at me isn’t going to change it.” The Colonel adjusted his hat, and started walking away, shouting over his shoulder, “You don’t have to be the one to do it if you don’t have the stomach for it!”

Spirit chewed the inside of his cheek.  _ ‘Owner plans to shoot her, thinks no one will buy her. I can try to low ball it, I think he’ll take the offer. Anything is better than nothing.’ _

A beat passed, then he finally got a price.  _ ‘I can do $2,000. Don’t go over.’ _

_ ‘Thx’ _

And then brave, furious Little Creek was standing in front of him, hands balled into fists like he wanted to deck Spirit, but was refusing to give into violence, so a better man than Spirit, at least. “Are you not angry?” Creek hissed, glaring. 

“Huh?”

“Some vet you are, you’re not even paying attention!”

“I’m texting my boss.” Spirit gestured to his phone, the conversation still pulled up. “I work at Cimarron Stables and Rescue, I’m their vet.”

That seemed to take some of the steam out of Creek. He faltered, blinking in confusion. “Stables and… rescue?”

“We buy at risk horses, train them, rehabilitate them, and find good homes for them once they’re ready.” Spirit nodded towards Rain. “I’m trying to find out if we can fit her in the budget, if we have space for her.”

Creek openly stared as Spirit turned back to his phone. He could probably do $2,000. It’d be a serious low ball offer for a champion race horse, but $2,000 dollars in the bank is better than disposing of a dead horse.

He’d better go find the Colonel and make an offer, before the man found a gun and came storming back in. He headed out of the stables.

He didn’t even make it out the door before Creek was beside him again, having to hurry to keep up with his shorter legs. 

“Wait, so are you taking her?”

“I don’t know.” Spirit stopped walking just long enough to say, “I’ll figure it out. Stick with her, she needs your company.” Creek didn’t try to follow him again, thankfully. 

He found the Colonel not too far away, mid-conversation with a stablehand, and Spirit came up just in time to catch the end of his sentence. “--in the cabinet in my office. Be careful with it, I don’t want to deal with a lawsuit if you shoot yourself in the foot.”

“Actually, Colonel, I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Spirit plastered on his most charming smile, and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, towards the stables. “I’d be more than happy to take that horse off your hands.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, you said you ain’t gettin’ nothing for her, right? I’ll buy her for cheap, so you at least get somethin’ for her.”

The Colonel hesitated to answer, jaw set… then nodded. “Alright, Santiago, you’ve got my ear. What’s your offer?”

“I can’t go higher than $2,000, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone else willing to buy.”

Sighing, the Colonel extended a hand. “You got yourself a deal. You can pick ‘er up tomorrow morning.”

Spirit eagerly shook his hand. “I’ll be by ‘round 8AM.”


End file.
